Ashes to Ashes
by Jattel
Summary: This is a story from the viewpoint of an Andoran commander in the field south of Baerlon. He was ordered to the area to secure it from Trollocs. This is my first publishing on this site and I would appreciate much critiquing. Enjoy.
1. Surprises

Surprises

Jack Toben sat thoughtlessly in his encampment outside Baerlon. There had been recent Trolloc activity in these parts, which is why the new Queen had ordered him and his battalion here. In truth, the activity of the Trollocs here was nil to nothing. They had not seen anything and only rumor kept the idea of Trollocs fresh on the lips of the towns people. Nevertheless, Jack sat quietly at his post.

For the past three weeks Jack had reported to his post at the north end of the encampment. He had had no leave to go into town because the Queen had ordered the men to be alert at all times. On occasion though, townsmen would come out to ask for news of the Trollocs and would sometimes bring a cask of ale or sour wine. It kept the men from becoming too discouraged. After all, news from the borderlands said that the Trollocs were pushing ever harder into the more civilized lands. The bloody Dragon Reborn had to send his precious Aiel to secure those places. He couldn't send the regular troops into combat. Even those stationed outside Amadacia were getting more action than Jack and his men were.

No matter though, Corbin was coming to relieve Jack now. It was time to sleep. When Corbin approached though, it wasn't to relieve him. Corbin said, "Commander. We have a problem."

Jack looked at the man, distressed and impatient, "Well, what is it?"

Corbin replied, "A patrol is late coming back. They aren't just a few minutes late either, it is an hour past their due."

Jack got up and ordered, "Okay Corbin, assign someone to this post and then gather Selma, Harigus, and Sal and meet me in the battle tent."

Finally some excitement; sure, losing men is bad, but it was a sign that they weren't assigned to this post for nothing. Jack walked quickly to the battle tent and waited. It was only ten minutes later when the group of soldiers arrived, swords and armor strapped on. Jack could feel as well as see the anticipation on the faces of his men.

"Okay, I have been informed that one of our patrol squad is well over due. It could be Trollocs, or it could just be that they are just messing around. Light knows how boring this post has been. But in case it was a Trolloc attack, be ready for the worst."

His men's faces brightened a bit, but at the prospect of losing some of the troops remained grim for the most part. After his warning, Jack pulled out a map and showed the company the route they would take, and then they were off.

On the way out of the camp, Jack found his Second and told them of the plans. Normally the commander of a regiment would not go out on a mission as small as this, and his Second questioned this. Jack merely shook him off. A normal commander would not fraternize with the lower ranks, but Jack thought it prudent to know the moral of his men first hand instead of relying on everyone else to tell him of it. No, Jack was not a normal commander; besides, he was bored and what better than a mission such as this to divert him.

Jack walked cautiously through the thinning trees south of Baerlon, his four men following silently. The Mountains of Mist were to the West and open plains to the East; and there was only a small group of villages to the south known as The Two Rivers. It was where the Dragon Reborn had grown up and eventually left for his higher glory. Jack knew he was a fool for cursing the name of the Dragon, but the man thought so little of Jack and his troop that he sent them where they were least likely to get in a fight. It was destroying the moral of the men and Jack knew that they couldn't stand it much longer, which was the reason this mission to find his missing men was so important. It was be a sad thing if they were killed by Trollocs or other Dark Friends, but it would be even worse if they had just deserted. Not only would Jack have to execute them, but it would also mean that these men were not the only ones considering desertion.

Corbin suddenly stopped, which brought Jack out of his thoughts. "Did you see that Commander?" Corbin whispered.

"See what?" Jack and his men crouched low to the ground to avoid being seen.

"Over there," He pointed to the foot of the mountains, "I saw something moving through the trees."

Jack immediately snapped into the mindset of his command. "Fan out and move on the position quietly but quickly."

At his orders, his men spread out about fifteen paces between them and they all approached the place that Corbin had pointed to. About thirty paces away, Jack saw it. It was a dark shadow that blended from tree to tree, then disappeared back into the shadows. So, Jack slid his sword out of its sheath slowly as he silently trotted upon the shadow's position. His men kept perfect order as they approached, and they had apparently seen it too and began closing in the ranks as they approached.

It was about five paces away that Jack made out clearly what the creature was. It was indeed a Trolloc, but unlike any he had seen. Instead of black mail armor, it wore black leather armor and a short sword at its side. It also wore a hard leather skull cap, yellow eyes glinting brightly out from underneath. By the time Jack made out its figure, the beast had seen all of them and charged directly at Jack.

It was much more agile than Jack had anticipated and he took the first blow of combat. The short sword the Trolloc held swung around hard and collided with Jacks thin plate armor. It penetrated the armor for sure, but the only pain was from the impact of the blow; no blood. Jack recovered quickly and brought his sword up defensively. They began circling and Jack could see his comrade coming to help. Before they got there, the Trolloc managed another hard blow, which Jack blocked with his own sword. The beast was incredible. It controlled its attacks instead of going wild with a big club or ax, unlike any Trolloc Jack had ever seen.

What happened next amazed Jack even more. Corbin and Harigus were first to arrive and attack. Both attacked at the same time, and the Trolloc swung both of them aside as would a master swordsman. Jack managed to cut through the leather armor as the beast was busy with the other two, but instantly, the Trolloc rounded on Jack and began fighting all three of the at once. Its agility and speed only held them off for the time it took for the group to re-estimate the power of their opponent, then they began working their way through the beast's defenses. It was slow work and Jack was beginning to wonder where Sal had gone off to when a plumed arrow pierced the beast through the throat, which at impact, the thing froze. Another arrow pierce the beast through the heart and one more through the throat again. On impact the last arrow, the Trolloc stumbled forward, then fell face forward.

Jack was worn and had a few nicks and bruises, as did the other two men. Harigus was the first to break the awed silence. "What in the Light was that thing."

Sal replied disgustedly, "No man, not in the Light. Then of course, that was no ordinary Trolloc was it?"

It was more of a statement than a question. "Search him for any sign of our missing comrades. If the patrol ran into a group of these, I think they might have had a bit of trouble." The good new was that the regiment was not here to stay out of trouble, there really was a threat here. If it took them so long just to take down one, Jack could only wonder at how they would take down an entire army. No, he would need to think of that later.

"Form up men, we have a patrol to find." Jack ordered.

Corbin spoke up next, "Sir? Shouldn't we go back for reinforcements? I mean if we come across two or even three of these beasts, we could be in real trouble."

Jack considered it, but then said, decidedly, "No, our patrol group may not have that long, if they are even still alive. Light willing they will be and we will be home before dark."

With that, they were off, Sal leading the group this time. He was the tracker in the group and could follow the footsteps of an ant if need be. The footsteps of this particular Trolloc were as the Trolloc itself, unlike any other of its kind. Some how the Trolloc had managed to leave only slight traces of its passing through the brush covered hill near the foot of the mountains. But still, Sal could keep track of them. They followed Sal's lead for about an hour before finally coming across a burnt out campfire. It was a small fire, and there were rat bones littering the campsite. This could mean only one thing. The Trolloc who attacked their group had traveled at least a day from his main encampment. The sun was already growing darker and would be setting in a couple of hours.

It was a hard decision, either they travel a bit farther and make camp, or they go back for reinforcements Both way, there was a risk that someone was going to die. Jack had brought the best of his camp with him and they could probably defend themselves from an attack by day, but if there were more Trollocs lurking around in the brush and trees, they would have no chance at night. It was a critical moment. By the looks his men gave him, Jack knew that they all, all except for Sal, wanted to go back and start with a larger group. But a larger group would never be able to sneak up on a Trolloc encampment, especially not a camp full of Trollocs like the one that had attacked them. Sal could obviously see the reckoning on his face because he said, "I think we should go on and make camp. If we go back now, our comrades will certainly be killed. Plus, a larger group will just mean a larger feast for the Trollocs, at least we would have a chance not to be seen."

Jack smiled at the man, but his smile was wipe away we he heard the familiar sound of a blade being drawn behind him. So he whipped around, sword in hand. There were three of the black clad Trollocs slowly advancing on them. Two had short swords out and the other had a arrow knocked and ready to fire. What puzzled jack was that they hadn't yet fired. It was completely unlike Trollocs. It shouldn't have been a surprise with all the other oddities about these Trollocs, but one of them spoke… and Jack understood it.

"Lay down your weapons."

Sal sounded as amazed as Jack himself was when he said, "What in the bloody Light is going on here? First they fight civilly, and now they talk civilly?"

"Lay down your weapons, we have a proposition to make you."

It was unthinkable! The bloody Trollocs wanted to make a deal? Trollocs! But Jack replied, "What kind of deal?"

The Trolloc at the lead said, "We will exchange your soldiers and your own lives for a peace treaty."

"A treaty? Are you out of your bloody mind? A treaty with your kind can never be trusted!"

The Trolloc standing behind the leader growled, but the leader said, "I know your distaste for my _kind_, but we are a different tribe that you and your Dragon Reborn has never even seen. We only just came out of hiding because we thought you may consider a truce."

_First they capture my men, then they come at us with swords. Now they want a treaty? Trollocs! It is unthinkable. _"Show me that my men are safe and I will consider it." At that, the Trolloc with the bow turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Sal drew close behind Jack and said harshly, "You aren't considering it are you? It would be foolishness. Besides, what if the Dragon himself hears of this treaty, he will come here personally and burn you and the rest of use to cinders."

"I know, but I also know that we cannot fight all three of these off and escape with our lives. If there is any hope of that it will be in this supposed truce."

Sal nodded resignedly, but still showed his disagreement as he walked away. The man was always wanting a fight. Nevertheless, a short time later, the Trolloc that had left returned and was followed by four men. They were all blindfolded and were only wearing their undergarments. "Here they are" Said the leader.

Jack was amazed at their civility, and said, "Well, I guess we should get to that treaty."

The Trolloc pulled a rolled piece of paper from a pouch at his belt and also pulled a thin piece of coal from it. Then he said, "Sign this at the bottom, so we have record of your agreement."

It was against everything the Creator had set in order. These sorts would be hated by all men and Trollocs alike, yet Jack was about to sign a truce with them… it was completely unthinkable. The Trolloc laid the paper and coal on a nearby stone, and motioned for Jack to come forward and sign. Jack walked forward and looked down at the paper. It read:

_I solemnly swear by the light and by the Creator himself to never raise a hand against the tribe 'Ma Mael' or any of its members. Nor will this tribe 'Ma Mael' raise a hand, paw, or otherwise against the humans unless further provoked._

_Signed, Jargos Ma Mael_

Jack signed the treaty, and was amazed at one thing in particular. The name of the tribe was in the Old Tongue. In and of itself, this was not so important, except that for the tribe to have some knowledge of the Old Tongue, would mean that at least their leaders are literate. It was something most intriguing.


	2. By the Light

Chapter Two

By the Light

Jack didn't sleep much that night. Dreams of black clad Trollocs continually woke him through the night. The dreams... no nightmares, portrayed Jack walking through the woods and immediately being ambushed by a group of the Trollocs. Of course they fought him well, three to one and he woke every time one of their swords began penetrating his thin armor and piercing his skin. It was the work of the Dark One, dreams such as those, it had to be. By morning though, Jack hoped that merely sleeping on the idea of an alliance with Trollocs would sound better than it did, but of course it didn't. As he woke for the final time, he still felt dread at the very thought of such an alliance. Moreover, Jack didn't even know how he was going to explain this to the governor of Baerlon.

No matter though, he would not be meeting the man until the evening at a dinner conference. Until then, Jack had to debrief his men on the situation. The good thing about soldiers was that they had to, by law, accept what their general said. Hopefully they would abide by law. So, Jack sat up in his bed, light glaring through the flap of the tent, and began dressing in his casual uniform. As he dressed, the tent flap opened to let in even more sunlight. Then a man's voice commanded "I do hope what I hear is just a rumor... a wild rumor."

Half dressed, Jack turned to see who had invaded the privacy of his tent and almost fell over at the sight of the man. "Sir Ashaman! What brings you to my camp?"

The man was dressed in black and had a silver sword pin on his collar. And he said with a piercing gaze, "The lord Dragon requests an audience immediately!"

Jack frowned, "Now? But... is he here now?"

"No time for questions man, hurry and dress, we will depart when you are finished."

Jack looked around frantically when the man left. The bloody Dragon Reborn wanted an audience with his? Jack Tobin? It was unheard of, unless of course the Dragon managed to hear about the truce he had just made a day earlier. Surely even the Dragon Reborn could not learn of such news so quickly.

The Ashaman was waiting for Jack when he stepped out into the light of the clear sky. As soon as he let the tent flap fall, the man did what he did best and a diagonal white light cut through the air, expanding into a two-dimensional blazing square. Jack had only heard of such gateways, but to see one… it was absolutely amazing, and frightening at the same time. The Ashaman commanded, "Step through."

Jack gingerly stepped forward and was only inches from the gateway. It was now more terrifying than ever; what if something went wrong… or what if this man was not really an Ashaman…. Before Jack could decide whether or not to trust the man, a hand push at his back, and Jack fell through the blazing gateway.

Jack opened his eyes and the gateway was gone. And now, instead of being in the brilliant sunshine of Baerlon and in the open fields, Jack found himself in a darkly decorated room. The walls were covered in old, black and grey wall hangings. Instead of the bright green grassy ground, the floor was hard, grey stone. Jack suddenly realized he was on his knees, and stood up, looking around some more for signs of life in this dark place. He also noticed that not only were his surroundings dark, but the sky outside the arrow slit window was dark with thunderclouds. Lightning occasionally flashed and lit up the window. Then a voice came from behind Jack; a calming and strong voice. "Welcome Jack Tobin. I am Rand Al'thor, Dragon Reborn."

Jack turned to see a tall red-haired man. He couldn't have been twenty-five yet, and wore the same black clothing as his Ashaman, though instead of a silver sword at his collar, there was a golden Dragon. The man also wore no sword and most likely didn't need one. So, Jack looked into the man's sad grey eyes and said, "Greetings my lord Dragon."

Suddenly disgust showed on the man's face, but was gone as soon as it had come. "I have been hearing some disturbing reports about you Commander Tobin."

Surely he hadn't heard of the treaty. "Really? What did they say?"

The man's expression was as a stone. "I hear you ally with darkfriends and Trollocs. I have also heard that you have openly denounced me and my Ashaman; and that you have declared yourself for the Dark One himself." He paused and Tobin almost shouted out at the suggestions, but the Dragon went on, "Of course I do not believe every rumor I hear, but I must know that I can trust you, which is why I have brought you here. So tell me how these rumors started."

The man amazed Jack. He could give a command and mean it, yet not be harsh. He could say a great deal and only mean a little. "I must denounce the rumors. However, there is one truth to those; I have made a treaty with a clan of Trollocs." Sadness showed in the Dragon's eyes. "You must know, however, that I only made the treaty to save my men that they took prisoner. You must also know that these Trollocs are very odd in their ways. They are more fearsome and powerful. They are intelligent enough to speak our language and even a bit of Old Tongue. These Trollocs are very odd and dangerous, but they wanted peace and that is what I gave them; that is until I find out why they are so odd. So, I still pledge my allegiance to the Queen and to you Lord Dragon, but I hope you will give me a chance to learn about these oddities. Besides, just one of these nearly killed me and three of my best men and I don't think my regiment could take out their entire encampment."

The Dragon's expression remained grim. There was no telling what was going through the head of a man sure near insanity. But a moment later, the man said, "Will they meet with an emissary?"

Surely he didn't mean to send someone to a Trolloc camp, "To tell you the truth, I am not sure. They only let us go because we signed the treaty. But if they were willing to do that, then… well I am not sure."

Then the man's tone changed, becoming a bit brighter… but only a bit. "Well then Commander, I must think on this new information, but in the meantime, would you join me for lunch?"

Lunch? With the Dragon Reborn? It was madness. "I would like that."

---Sal sat in his tent, the day's heat making his mind drift from topic to topic. The thing that continually occupied his thoughts though was the expressions of the Trollocs he and the group had encountered the day before. They were expressions foreign to Trollocs and even animals. These Trollocs were much different than those he and everyone else had known. They seemed to have emotions other than hatred, which was boggling to Sal, a man who grew up in the border lands and eventually came to be in the Queen's army. He had known the faces of Trollocs and the cruelties they imbued upon their victims. He had also known the faces of the dying Trollocs and the suffering Trollocs. They were animals and only used the logic of animals, not man. It was all confusing.

Sal was brought out from his dreams by the shouts of men all around the camp. By their shouts, Sal could tell that there was something approaching the camp. So, Sal grabbed his bow and quiver and dashed out of his tent, strapping his quiver to his back and knocking and arrow. When he reached the edge of camp, men had their swords drawn and their spears ready and were all looking at the same object. It was a large dark clad Trolloc walking casually up the slop of the valley. He wore no sword or weapon of any kind, but only held in his hand a book, black leather bound book. Sal shouted out above the other's saying, "Calm down! As you were told by Corbin this morning, we have a treaty with this clan. Do not attack him or the treaty will be annulled. That is something none of can want."

A shout came from in the midst of the swarm of men, "There is no treaty with any darkfriend! There is none and will never be one!"

Approving shout rang out all around and Sal was becoming desperate as the men were becoming restless. He had to find Corbin. Being the Second commander, Corbin could give a direct order to these men not to attack the beast. Sal had no such power.

After only a few minute, the Trolloc drew nearer, and some of the men knocked arrows and began to draw their bows back. It was then when Corbin finally showed up, "Hold your fire! You fools; the Trolloc is not to be fire upon by orders of Commander Tobin. If any of you do this, you will bring hell upon our camp."

The men began to ease, and then another of the men shouted out, "Jack Tobin is a darkfriend! He allies us with Trollocs and then leaves us to be eaten by them! By the Light! We must defend ourselves!"

Sal saw the worried expression flash on Corbin's face. By the Light is right, the army has turned into a mob. By the Light indeed!


	3. The Dragon Reborn

Chapter Three

The Dragon Reborn

Jack sat down at the end of a dark wood dining table. Rand Al'thor sat at the other end. As they waited for the servants to bring the food, Rand said, "How has the open country of Baerlon been? Good I hope."

The man was so at ease and calm, yet Jack knew madness lingered behind the mask of serenity. "Yes, very good. However, there is a problem with that."

Rand looked surprised, "A problem? How so?"

"The men are restless. They and I both want to be on the front line where there is action."

Again, the look of sadness spread across Rand's face. "You don't know what it is like on the frontline, how could you ask for such a thing?"

Great sadness. "My men are losing discipline. Even the everyday training exercises don't ensure their complete obedience."

"So you want to fight on the frontlines? You want to fight the Seanchan and the other darkfriends? You and your men want this so greatly?"

"Yes. We wish only to serve the Queen… and of course you; we wish to fight the forces of evil and to drive the Seanchan back into the sea as you did at Falme."

Rand's face hardened, "And what of the Trollocs you met near Baerlon? Would you so readily abandon Baerlon because you feel you are not in the fight?"

Jack had forgotten, as hard as it may seem, about the Trollocs. "No, of course not, but…."

"You will remain in Baerlon." He stood and looked around, "Suddenly I am not hungry, come we go to Baerlon, perhaps these _peaceful_ Trollocs will accept an emissary."

The Dragon Reborn was going to Jack's camp! By the Light and the Creator! "Sir?"

Rand ignored him and another portal like that of the Ashaman opened up except that it was much larger, large enough for Rand and Jack to fit through standing abreast. Rand waited for Jack to step through the gateway before he followed.

On the other side, Jack found that it was still sunny and bright outside instead of the dark storms that haunted where ever he had just been. But there was something odd about the camp, it seemed quiet. The gateway snapped shut behind the Dragon Reborn, and the man stepped forward curiously saying, "Where are your men?"

Jack shook his head, "I have no idea."

Then came the shouts. A fire flared up in Rand's eyes as he went to see the commotion; Jack was following him closely. When they arrived on the scene, a man in the back of a large group of men saw them, eyes going wide. The man nudged the man in front of him and so on until every man was silently amazed at the sight. They knew it must be the Dragon Reborn that stood next to Jack, and all were silent, except for one.

"My Lord Dragon!" Praised Sal.

Rand winced at the praise, and said, "What is going on here?"

Sal replied, "Oh there's a Trolloc coming, and this mob of buffoons are arguing whether to kill it or not. Other than that…"

The fire in Rand's eyes flared again and the men parted to let him through. By the time Rand reached the edge of the sea of men, the Trolloc was also arriving. Unexpected laughter burst from Rand Al'thor at the sight of a civil, unarmed Trolloc and he shouted back to Jack, "It seems you were right commander! This thing is a bit more peaceful than most I have seen."

The Trolloc looked at Rand confused and asked in a civil tongue, "Are you the leader of these men?"

Rand's smile vanished and he turned to the Trolloc, "I am the Dragon Reborn Sir Trolloc, so yes I suppose so."

The Trolloc was shock, and immediately went to one knee, offering a black leather bound book to Rand. "This is a gift to you and to your men. It is the history of the Ma Mael."

Rand looked at the Trolloc quizzically and said, as to himself, "Ma Mael? The One Hope. So your clan is the one hope? For the Trolloc race no doubt."

The Trolloc smiled as well as a Trolloc or animal could, and said, "Yes we are. I have come to ask for a more permanent and detailed alliance."

"You should rise Ma Mael, if you are a darkfriend, I would not want to burden you with pleasantries." Then Rand turned to Sal and said, "Give this Ma Mael a tent to sleep in tonight," then under his breath said, "and keep a guard on the entrance."

With that, the Dragon Reborn turned back to Jack and began walking away from the crowd of soldiers, motioning for Jack to follow. Rand's actions puzzled everyone, except for the Trolloc who accepted the orders as would any man. Then Rand said when they were out of earshot of the Trolloc, "This Trolloc intrigues me. I want to learn more about him; especially if he is willing to submit to my rule. I suppose I should read this book, but then I will _talk_ with the Trolloc. In order for my _talk_ to go well, he must not feel incredibly threatened, so don't push him around too much. I will do enough of that tonight. Until then, go about today as you normally would."

Rand left Jack standing in the middle of an empty camp and disappeared through one of his gateways.

---Rand Al'thor stepped through his gateway onto a disc, half white and half black. Empty space spread infinitely in every direction. It was a peaceful place and a place where he could escape the lords, the ladies and the battles. He could escape almost everything in this dark place. That is except for the Power that surged through him, threatening to overwhelm him; and of course Lews Therin. At that thought the man came ranting.

_Kill them! Kill them all. No Trolloc is to be trusted._

Rand felt sick at the sudden burst of words in his head. He spoke aloud, the darkness seeming to absorb his words as he spoke them. "I have no doubt of that. But first I must know what is different about these, so I can assess their formidability."

The words came as sickening thoughts, and Rand could almost feel the hatred burning in Lews Therins heart… _his_ heart. _They are just another trick of Shaitan! They cannot be trusted… they will be your undoing if you do not kill them._

Rand knew the man was right; Light the man was in his head! But Rand said, "Commander Tobin seems to think that these Trollocs are more skilled in fighting. I cannot just send an army into battle without knowing my enemy."

Lews Therin was quiet for a moment… a sweet moment. Then he said, _YOU could kill them. WE could kill them with fire and earth, the One Power. Remember the One Power?_

As he spoke, the Power surged again in Rand, pushing him to his limits. Then, unwillingly, Lews Therin raised Rand's hand and a stream of fire burst forth. Convulsions suddenly took hold of Rand and his stomach threatened to empty itself. "STOP!"

With that, Lews Therin laughed loudly, which seemed to echo inside Rand's head, then he was gone. Lews Therin's presence shuffled to the back of Rand's mind, still laughing; a laugh that tickled the back of Rand's mind. With that, Rand lay, occasionally gagging on the disc he summoned.

After the convulsions subsided, Rand sat up dazed; and he decided to begin reading the book he had been given by the Trolloc. So, he imagined a black chair and it appeared, then as he sat in it, he also summoned a small writing desk, and it appeared. He then set the black leather bound book on the desk and opened it to the first page. The whole thing seemed to be written in Old Tongue. Rand knew the Old Tongue well and began reading the book in amazement. It was a detailed history of the tribe, Ma Mael, which stretched back to when Rand first learned of his being the Dragon Reborn. A single Trolloc had begun the evolution of the half-breed darkfriend. The single Trolloc was known as Tor, and was the leader of a tribe known as Al Ghoor. Tor eventually led many of his family and his grunts to form a new Tribe that was set apart from the rest. This single Trolloc and his group all wanted the same thing, which was peace with the humans. They no longer wished to serve the Dark One, but wanted to settle down and hunt the forests and have their own small nation. They seemed to be like the humans themselves. After a while, the Trollocs began noticing differences in their offspring. Their sons began to become smaller and have a lesser animal appearance; and their daughters also became smaller, and their personalities became less instinctive and more thought provoked.

Rand read the book from beginning to end, his amazement growing with each new sentence. These Trollocs were evolving into a more human race. Rand drew the conclusion that the trigger for such a dramatic change was because a single thought was vocalized and the Trollocs made an effort to try and stop using instincts. The book also showed that the Trollocs stopped eating everything that was placed in front of them, humans included. All of these things contributed to the New Clan. Of course, Rand also had to consider what Lews Therin thought about this subject. The Trollocs were made by Shaitan and made for him. It was not very likely that they could ever change as they have said. Rand decided that his interrogation of the emissary Trolloc would prove more fruitful than constantly arguing points with himself.

So, Rand stood up from his chair, and grabbed the book; the desk and chair disappearing. Then he opened the gate to the Baerlon camp and stepped through, the darkness melting away and was instantly replaced by the Andoran sunset. Tonight would be the decision on whether or not to continue an alliance with Ma Mael. Tonight would be very…. Lews Therin interrupted, _fun!_ And he howled with laughter, fading to the back of Rand's mind.


	4. A Day of Chaos

A Day of Chaos

Jack Tobin stood outside his tent, watching the unusual Trolloc sitting quietly in the tent Jack had let him have. The Trolloc had only asked for a pitcher of water and things to write with since he had come earlier that morning. It had been about eight hours now, and the sun was beginning to set when finally, a silvery light slashed through the air and expanded into a gateway. This gateway was a bit different though from the one Jack had entered. This one was not bright white light blaring into the camp; no, it was black, and on the other side, Jack could see Rand Al'thor stepping through. The Dragon seemed to have many secrets he kept himself, as well he should too.

When the gateway closed, Jack immediately bowed to the Dragon and said, "Lord Dragon, the Trolloc has done nothing but write and write since you left us."

"What is his name?"

The question caught Jack of guard. His name? "What do you mean my Lord Dragon?"

The man looked directly at Jack with a stone cold smile. "Surely you didn't just let him sit in his tent all alone. Surely you gathered a little information for me."

Jack was shocked and could only reply, "Well… no sir, I didn't think…."

"That's just it commander, you didn't think."

With that, the Dragon began an arrogant walk towards the tent which the Trolloc sat in. Jack only stood there for a second, and then hurried after the man. Every time he thought he knew the wishes of the Dragon, he learned he was completely wrong. Jack realized that he had been off guard ever since the Dragon Reborn entered his camp.

No matter though, because when Jack arrived at the Trolloc's tent, he heard the Dragon asking, "Would you like some tea?"

To which the Trolloc replied, "Water is fine, thank you."

Water is fine? Thank you? This was no Trolloc, it couldn't be. Water was never fine with a Trolloc, and they were never polite. This world has been turned upside down! "Odd isn't it." Came a voice from the shadows.

Jack turned to see Sal staring into the Trolloc's tent. "What is odd?"

Sal smiled and said, "First, we go out and find that there are a few civil and good fighting Trollocs, and now the Dragon Reborn has come to our camp. I don't know, but I would definitely say that it is odd having both of them here."

Jack knew exactly what the man meant, and said so, "I don't understand what this world is coming to. I mean look, the Dragon Reborn is in the world which means the Last Battle is coming. That in itself is strange to me, but now, as if to make things worse, we have discovered that there are also civil Trollocs in the world. This Age has to be the oddest that the Wheel of Time has spun out."

"Indeed." Sal paused, and then he said, "Do you think that if the Dragon trusts these Trollocs, then he will station us on the frontline soon?"

Jack had been wondering the same thing earlier that day, and said, "I don't know. Though I have been around the man for a good deal of the day, I still couldn't say if he likes honey in his tea or lemon."

Sal just stood there, pondering Jack's response, until finally he said, "Well I initially came here to tell you that it's your turn at watch."

A commander also doing watch duty was indeed odd, but Jack couldn't stand just sitting in his tent all night, and made it a point to put himself on the watch duty roster, which pleased the men most of the time to get a night off. Now it was time to think.

---Graendal approached the camp south of Baerlon slowly, her silk, nearly see-through shift exposing her dark smooth legs to the night. She could feel the mind of Rand Al'thor in the camp ahead, and her heart began to race. She did not like the boy as did Lanfear, but the thought of killing him excited her. Her information had told her that the boy had become close to the commander of the camp and trusted in the man. His name was Jack Tobin and would be the perfect acquaintance for the job.

As she neared the camp, Graendal opened herself to the Power, which flowed smoothly into her. She loved the feel of the Power, and often held it just to feel its exuberance. But that was not her aim tonight. She walked into the camp, and the men that saw her near naked body gaped just long enough for her to work her Compulsion on them. It was with the twisting of the mind that she made them forget that they had seen her, hard as that may seem. She challenged even Lanfear at the art of beauty. Lanfear was revered as the most beautiful, but Graendal knew that it wasn't true. Graendal did not maim herself, as Lanfear did, with love for Lews Therin; instead she strengthened herself with hate for the man.

Such thought disappeared as Graendal approached a lone man stationed in a make-shift watchtower. She worked Compulsion just long enough to get close to the man. His hair was a dark brown, and he had lightly tanned skin. There were only a few scars on the man and he had green, attentive eyes that widened when she let him see her. She continued to work Compulsion with the pretty man. "Good evening husband."

The man was confused for a moment, then realized his mistake when Graendal flowed more weaves of Compulsion into him. "Oh, I'm sorry Mashiara I didn't recognize you in the dark." He paused and admired her beauty, then asked, "Why have you come?"

More Compulsion, "To _see_ you." She moved closer, undoing the straps on his armor, which fell to the floor with a clank.

He was entranced now, no more need for so much Compulsion, and she began undoing her shift. Graendal knew she could use Compulsion to send the man on her mission, but then where would the fun be in that. This would be the calm before the storm… so to speak.

---Something prickled the back of Rand's mind as he sat with the Ma Mael. Then a lump formed in the back of his throat and Lews Therin cried, _She's here! She's going to kill us! We're going to die, finally!_

Rand thought to Lews Therin, _Who's here? Who are you talking about?_

Lews Therin answered, _Its her! Its her! She'll kill us and we'll be free!_

Rand hated the riddles Lews Therin played in his head, and before he let Lews Therin gain too much control, he pushed him to the back of his mind, the lump going with him. The man was obviously mad… which would make Rand mad! When he laughed at the thought of it, the Trolloc looked up startled and asked, "What is it?"

Rand regained his composure and replied hurriedly, "I was just thinking, to no offense, but how odd it is that you are a Trolloc, having a drink and a chat with me. Before today I would not have thought it possible."

The Trolloc grinned, as well as any Trolloc could, and he said, "Yes, it is odd."

Then Rand said, "After reading your history and after our talk tonight, I do not see why we cannot keep this alliance. However, there is one thing. You should not go near people or cities; it will only cause trouble"

The Trolloc nodded in agreement, then stood saying, "Well then, I suppose I should get back to my camp. It was good meeting you Lord Dragon. I hope our relations get better as the Ages advance."

All Rand said in reply was, "As do I."

With that, they shook hands the Trolloc left the tent and Rand alone in it. Rand instantly forgot the Trolloc as the prickle came back, this time it touched the back of Rand's neck. There was only one thing that did that, a woman touching Saidar. Rage rushed through Rand as he strode out of the tent, where Sal was waiting in the shadows. "Where is your commander?" asked Rand excitedly.

Sal seemed relaxed, which was an odd thing these days for Rand, a man to be relaxed around him. Sal replied, "He is on watch…. Is there something wrong?"

Rand ignored Sal's question and said, "Take me to him."

Sal lazily stepped into the moonlight, his bow in hand, and then motioned for Rand to follow. Rand followed, and let Saidin rush into him. He fought of the initial blow of the rush, and then held the flood at bay as he followed Sal through the night. When they approached a watch post, the prickling had gone, and the commander stood still at his watch. Either he had gone out of range of his ability to sense a woman channeling, or the woman had seen Rand and had stopped. In case of the latter, Rand channeled a simple weave of fire incased in a more complex weave of air, then sent it high above their heads. The result was a brilliant blue light that only left slivers of shadow. When he saw nothing, not even a stray animal, Rand wove a weave the sent a many colored wave across the land, telling Rand if there was anyone who could used the One Power nearby. When there was no one, Rand turned to Commander Tobin and asked, "Have you seen anyone on your watch tonight?"

The commander replied very calmly, almost too calmly, "No."

Rand knew the man was lying by the way he replied, and Sal noticed it too because at such a spectacle of lights, even he was surprised. There was something odd about Jack Tobin, and Rand was going to find out what exactly that was. First though, he was going to get some sleep; light sleep though it may be and start fresh in the morning.


	5. The Lady in the Night

The Lady in the Night

Rand woke the next morning to the sound a movement outside his tent. He embraced Saidin and wove a detection ward at the entrance of his tent. It was a Trolloc! Rand suddenly jumped to his feet and lit the tent with the weave of fire and air. The Trolloc was crouched in a sneaking position. It was black clad and had a short sword hanging at its waist. The Trolloc immediately locked eyes with Rand, and came out of his crouch.

"My Lord Dragon! I was sent to warn you sir." The Trolloc wasn't even frightened at Rand's use of the Power.

Rand still held a weave of bale fire at bay when he asked, "Warn me of what?"

The Trolloc looked around, then came closer saying, "There is a Chosen here in the camp... or just outside it. Her name is Graendal, perhaps you have heard of her."

Rand smiled deviously, letting his weaves fade away. The Forsaken had come in person, probably assuming that Rand was less guarded outside his stone walls. The truth was that Rand was his only protection, aside from the Black Tower. Even they weren't much help. "Yes, I know of her. I sensed her earlier. But tell me sir Trolloc, how is it that you know of her presence?"

The Trolloc slouched and said resignedly, "We Trollocs have been bound to the Dark One and his kind since the beginning of the Age and even before. As an innate ability, we can sense when one of our... former masters is near."

So the Trollocs have been spying on the encampment. They were not as helpless as they seemed. No matter though, the Trolloc had apparently come for other reasons. Rand looked down to the Trolloc in masked contempt, "Is that your reason for waking me before dawn?"

The Trolloc now shrunk back in fear, then he said, "No Lord Dragon.; my elders were wondering if you would like our help in killing the Forsaken woman?"

"Then let your elders come and asked me themselves."

The Trolloc now did not hide his want to run, but said, "But my Lord... she is almost upon you, and we can... we can take care of her for you."

Rand's irritation twinged, and he let his displeasure show violently. "Do you not know that Graendal is second most powerful of the _Chosen_ and third most powerful with the Power next to Ishmael and I? Do you not understand what she could do to you and your entire clan. I myself could destroy you all with a thought, it would only take her a little more to kill you all. She is not an idiot. Even I knew you Trollocs were not the same."

The words came screaming from the back of Rand's mind, _KILL! Kill the Trolloc! He works for the Dark One! Kill him!_

Rand nearly doubled over as Lews Therin grappled for control of his body. "I am Rand al'Thor!" Rand yelled. Lews Therin's grasp weakened, but Rand could feel see the weaves he wove. They were foreign to Rand, but he knew he had to stop. "I am Rand al'Thor!" The Power disappeared, and Rand recoiled with the force of its disappearance. Lews Therin went with it, and rand was left on his knees, tears running down his face, and he was gagging but nothing came up.

At the sight of it, the Trolloc took it as an attack and in the interest of the alliance, he ran away silently back into the forest outside the camp. Rand recovered shortly after and he looked up from his kneeling position to see the Sun's brilliance beginning to peak over the horizon. Now starts another day of danger with the reminder that he could not trust anyone.

Sal was approaching Rand's tent when Rand stepped out into the approaching sunlight. The man held his bow and his eyes were scanning the surrounding camp as he approached. "My Lord Dragon, the scouts haven't found any traces of the woman you sensed last night. The night was quiet."

Rand grimaced, "Almost quiet. Remember we still have Trollocs out there. I don't care if we did ally with them, they may still pose a threat as any man would."

Sal nodded in firm agreement, which surprised Rand. Then Sal asked, "What are your plans for today?"

Rand thought a moment, then said, "First I plan to find some breakfast. Then, I think I will talk with Commander Tobin about last night. After that, I think my job will be finished here and you and your company can take over."

Sal hesitated before asking, "Then you don't have any intentions of stationing the regiment elsewhere?"

Rand knew the man meant the front lines, and said, "Captain Sal, I do not intend to send your regiment at the front lines of battle until it becomes necessary."

Sadness painted Sal's face when he said finally, "Well, in that case, would you please consider something for me? Would you consider taking me with you to fight with your Aiel? I promise I can fight as well as any Aielman and better than most."

Rand smiled at the man's persistence, and said, "We'll see Captain. We''ll see."

Rand turned from the captain and walked, still smiling toward the dining tent.

---Graendal smiled to herself as she saw Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn turn away from a certain captain. His earlier episode of gagging and screaming was most intriguing. It was a time of weakness that Graendal knew that she could take advantage of. If she killed the boy, the Shaitan would be most pleased and would perhaps grant her more power; enough maybe to even surpass Ishmael. But that was all in the future. The night before, she had secured an alliance with the Commander Jack Tobin and now, she only needed to wait for the right moment to strike.

Graendal knew that Jack's mind had weakened terribly after her use of compulsion the night before. The only reason his mind was not completely destroyed was because she used her other, less potent power to seduce the man and make him hers. Now she had his loyalty without the madness of Compulsion. Jack Tobin would eventually get close enough to Rand, then hopefully be able to stick the poisoned dagger into the boy's back, catching him unaware. It was the perfect plan that kept her hands clean, yet left her mark upon the world. The other Chosen would know it was her because of the manner in which Rand al'Thor would die, which was by the hand of a man driven mad by Compulsion. The mind of a man was much easier to manipulate, that is by a woman anyway.

Graendal turned to walk away, and was met by the point of a sword. A thin black short sword was being held firmly to her throat by a... Trolloc, of all things. Graendal waved him away, and when he didn't move, she asked, "What are you doing Trolloc. Did Ishmael tell you to do this?"

The Trolloc just stared at her blankly. Then after a moment, Graendal was tired of the charade and embraced Saidar. At the embrace, the Trolloc pushed the point hard enough to draw blood and mar Graendal's beautiful neck. She pulled a dagger from nowhere, and before the lonely Trolloc could react, blood was gushing from its throat.

Even still, in its death, Graendal noticed that the Trolloc tried hard to lift his sword against her. At a gurgle, the Trolloc died. It was odd, but the Trolloc seemed determined to kill her. She obviously couldn't use the One Power to kill it because she was so close to the Dragon Reborn, no matter how weak he was at the moment. No, Jack would kill the boy for her and perhaps the resistance would fall with the Dragon. It was in human nature, Graendal knew, that there would be a loyalist uprising, but the Dark Lord could quickly put a stop to that. Then, Graendal could live out ruling her _pets_ and maneuvering through the Great Game with the other Chosen. Contrary to popular belief, Graendal preferred peace which was unlike what most of the other Chosen liked. Asmodean was the only male Chosen that agreed with her on this, and he was dead.

Perhaps tonight would be the perfect night for Jack to strike, but only if al'Thor's sudden spasms continued. It put the boy in a state of weakness, even so that a lowly man could kill him. Graendal knew the boy's power and dare not confront him without help; which is why she was using the pretty Commander Tobin.

---Rand sent up mental barriers to Lews Therin as he entered the tent that had porridge boiling over open fires, the smell wafting and making his stomach want to do somersaults. Rand could show no weakness to these men, no matter what it took. Of course Rand would have to let the barriers down in order to take hold of Saidin, but many times, Saidin downed out the sickness that the dead Dragon brought on. No, now he must be strong and hard. He must demand respect from his soldiers. A bowl of porridge was passed his way, and Rand took it, letting his expression ease for a moment. Even the bland taste was good, after all Rand had not had a meal in three days. Lews Therin normally destroyed all temptations of food, but it was a necessary evil. Rand had spent the last three days silently conversing with the dead Dragon. Though the man spoke in riddles most of the time, Rand had worked out a more detailed history of the Forsaken and had learned many of their tricks.

Graendal for one liked to use what was known as Compulsion to take over peoples minds, and in essence create free disposable assassins. Now that Rand knew she was near, he could trust no one, not even to get him a goblet of wine or a cup of water. For the next few nights, Rand would need to sleep lightly and keep Saidin at hand. An attack could come from anyone, and probably at night when Rand would be sleeping. The block he used to block out Lews Therin was the most effective way of staying control of his own body, and the only way to stave off the constant attacks that followed the mad man's appearances. Even so, Rand knew that Graendal would not be stupid, and he could trust that an attack would come unexpectedly. All of that was in the future, but today he would be touring the Third Regiment of Andor; scouting out and trying to fix its weaknesses. He would also probably meet with another Ma Mael emissary before the days end, especially after his outburst at the visitor earlier that morning. Yes, today he would need to guard every step, lest he be killed.


	6. The Blademaster

The Third Regiment

Rand finished his porridge quietly sitting at the end of one of the long tables that stood in the large tent. Each table was long enough to seat about forty men, and there were about ten of these tables. That meant that only half of the regiment could eat at once, leaving the other half to stand guard. But Rand was all alone at the end of his table. The men, with good reason, seemed afraid of his. It wasn't ideal, but their fear gave Rand the command over them that he needed. It was a point on which Lan and Logain differed on. Lan had told Rand that it was better to command an army through respect and love, whereas Logain told him the fear was the most useful tool. Rand didn't care which, as long as he commanded these men.

When he stood, one of the cooks left his post, and hurriedly picked Rand's bowl up, then quickly scrubbed the table with his apron. The man's eyes were on the table, then on the ground as he turned to leave. Not even once did he glance in Rand's direction. A voice in Rand's head said, "Everyone fears the power and anger of the Dragon." It was regretful, but seemingly obvious.

Then there was Sal; the only man that Rand had met in this camp that did not seem to fear him. The very fact that the man was so relaxed around Rand was troubling. Since everyone feared the Dragon, only someone who was very dumb or someone that was an enemy would not fear a Power wielding male, not to mention the Dragon Reborn. But there was Sal.

"Are you ready for your tour Lord Dragon?" Sal asked, waking Rand from his thoughts.

Rand almost let a smile slip onto his face. This man was indeed… different; as were many things about the past few days. "Yes Captain, lead the way."

Sal saluted Rand, then turned and led him out of the meal tent and into the open sunlight. It was a breezy, beautiful day, much different than those in Caemlyn as of late. The birds were chirping and the camp was alive with activity. Soldiers were running around the camp, doing odd jobs and standing guard. Many of the men were sitting around in groups talking and laughing. Such an easy job compared to that of the Dragon's. Rand had to send happy men like these to their deaths, so that he might live another day and unite the world together against the Dark One at the last battle. Yet still these men sat around joking and laughing about trivial things. Such a sight eased, for only a moment, the tension in Rand's shoulders. But it was gone as Rand remembered that most of these men would be lying dead or maimed on the battlefield some crying out for their mothers and some crying out to the Creator. Rand on the other hand would certainly die alone, after the last battle was done and the world was at peace once again.

Again, Sal woke Rand out of his trance of thoughts when he said, "My lord, are you alright? You look a bit pale."

Rand looked up at the man, and said, "Yes, of course. I was just… thinking." Rand paused, remembering why he was here, then asked, "Now we were going to the practice yard. I would like to see how some of the men are doing. Does this regiment have good fighters?"

Sal smiled and said, "Why yes indeed my lord! This camp has some of the best in Andor! Every man trains for at least an hour every day, and that is just the minimum requirement set by Her Majesty the Queen."

Rand's next statement even threw himself a bit off balance, "I would like to _test_ some of the men out myself."'

Sal's eyes widened in shock, "You mean you want to practice with them? All due respect my lord…"

"No Captain! I will train with them, I must! Besides, it'll be fun." Rand left the man standing in shock when he flashed an unexpected smile at the man. It felt good to smile. It had been so long and Rand regretted the feeling. All of the grief with the list of names piling up in his head; all of the names of the men and women who had died for _him_, it was almost sickening.

As Rand reached the practice yard, Sal had caught up with him. When Sal stopped at Rand's side, Rand was already picking up a wooden sword. Many of the men cracking blades near Rand stopped, fear edging their eyes. They must think he is here to punish them… and he very well might be if they weren't as good as Sal claimed. Then Sal shouted out, "Gather around Third. You have a challenger. His name is Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, and he doesn't think you have the skill to fight one such as him. Show him what you've got, and if you lose in a duel with him, there will be extra kitchen duty for you."

The men looked around at each other nervously, then it was Rand's turn to speak, "Which one of you will be first to sign up for 'kitchen duty?'"

At that, a large burly made holding a massive wooden sword stepped forward and said in a deep, booming voice, "I will."

Rand smiled at the challenge and stepped into the chalk line circle, embracing the void as he did so, and the large man faced him. If an outsider didn't know who Rand was, then it would seem obvious that Rand would probably be maimed in this duel, but Rand did have one thing working for him, and that was that every man, save Sal, feared him, and that would their undoing.

Rand raised his blade defensively and waited. The big lumbering man held his large practice sword in both hands, but he held it as if it were light as a feather. They began circling the outside of the ring. Rand noticed that the man was not looking at Rand's eyes or any other movements Rand made; instead, the man was staring at Rand's blade… almost fearfully. It was outrageous. Rand was certainly going to show this brute a lesson or two. After about a minute of circling, Rand grew tired of it and decided to be the first to strike. He came out with a solid jab that the large man barely managed to swipe away. There were no special moves, only jabs and slashes and strikes. These men were trained for warfare, not single combat. The followed orders and moved where they were told to move, which made this duel, if that is what you called it, all the more easier.

Rand then fell back into a defensive mode when the burly man swung the heavy practice blade down towards Rand's skull. Knowing that he could never stop a blow like that, the men around the duel acted as if they were waiting for the snap of Rand's wrists. Instead of blocking the heavy blow though, Rand only acted as if he were going to block, then feinted to the left. Out of the corner of his eye, Rand saw Sal laughing, and directly in front of him, the large man's sword rushed to the ground, throwing the man off balance. Rand decided to show the man no mercy and strike out hard. There was a sharp crack as Rand struck out hard to the man's rib cage.

The large man bellowed a cry of pain at such a crack, but Rand felt no remorse. The man was a fool when it came to dueling. Muscle and weight aren't all you must put behind a sword; there must also be a brain and agility. Without those, a man can only win a fight by sheer luck. Still, even though the duel was easy, Rand felt a bead of sweat start on his back. This would be a good day if only the competition would get a little harder.

Rand stepped back and told the crowd of men that had gathered, "Let this prove to you that brute force only rarely wins in one on one duels. Instead you must use speed and logic to calculate your opponent's next move." After he said that he leaned on his practice sword and asked, "Is there anyone else think that they can beat me?"

For a moment, no one answered, but then a voice from the back of the crowd, which was about seventy strong, rang out. "I might try my hand at this."

When the man approached, Rand recognized him as Corbin, Jack's Second. With that, the men cheered him on against Rand. Rand let a smile slip onto his face as his opponent faced him in the circle. Corbin drew out a slightly curved wooden practice sword and raised it up defensively. The man was slender, but not skinny. He had muscle and nearly no fat. He looked like the type to use the sword he used, small and quick. Rand continued to smile at the man when they began circling. Before they had taken five steps around the circle, the man struck out fast. Rand took a step back as he blocked a jab, then one step forward as he blocked a slash from the right. The man moved lightning fast, and Rand was surprised to find that he had even let go of the void and was now fighting for the first time in a long time with his emotions released. Even without the void, the man was not too hard to defend against.

Rand formed the void once again in his mind as he blocked another jab at his chest. He fed all his fears and wants all his hate and joy into the void. Now he was empty, and the defending he was doing became boring with the ease. Rand decided to go on the offensive, and struck out with a jab. The man was quick and blocked Rand's jab and counter-struck with his own jab. Rand easily blocked it and began a series of all out attacks. First he performed with elegance Hummingbird Kisses the Flower. Even through the smooth, quick movements of Rand's blade, he still heard the crack of a block raised by Corbin. Rand let his smile deepen, and Corbin saw it. Corbin's eyes betrayed that he knew what was coming, he knew Rand was about to finish him in a slit second. And Rand did. Corbin had thrown himself off balance when he had to try hard to block Rand's sword form, and it left Corbin's entire right side open. Rand rushed in with a furry of blows, despite the gasps of the crowd around them. Even practice swords can do damage. With a series of jabs and a final slashing blow, Corbin was on the ground trying to hold his wounds.

Rand let the void go, and saw what he had done. Corbin surely had a broken rib like the other man, but he also had a number of bruises that ran very deep. One of Rand's jabs had even penetrated the man's skin, dull as the practice blades were. Yet still, Rand felt no remorse. If that was the best man here, then this regiment was not trained well enough to battle the Shaido Aiel. Only the best of men could successfully fight an Aielman. Rand saw none here. He spoke his thoughts, saying, "Fighting the Aiel will be much like these little duels we are having now, except that the Aiel do not use swords. They are quicker and more agile than I. You must learn logic and learn patience."

Rand waited for the men to absorb and think momentarily on his words, then asked, "One more call for someone who thinks they can beat me. I will give that man a gold crown if he can."

No one answered his call this time until Rand shook his head and began waling towards Sal. The man was leaning against a tree and smiling smugly at Rand, and before Rand reached him, Sal spoke out loud enough for everyone to hear. "I will challenge you my lord Dragon."

Rand was pleased and let it show with a smile, something he didn't do often enough. Sal drew a practice blade that matched Rand's and waited in the circle for Rand to face him. When Rand did so, Sal's grip on his two-handed sword eased a bit, and he slid into a defensive stance. The man seemed at ease, which rand found amusing. By this time, the sun was hot and sweat rolled down Rand's back. So he tugged off his shirt and let the Dragon Tattoos gleam in the sunlight. The breeze here was light, but just enough to seem to freeze the sweat on Rand's back.

They began circling, both of them watching every little move the other made. This lasted for at least five minutes, before Sal struck out hard with, surprisingly, a sword form that only a blademaster could master. The Creeper Embraces the Oak. It was a slow circling attack that tried to get through Rand's defenses, but Rand blocked with, Leaf Floating on the Breeze. The man seemed to know his sword forms well enough, seeming that in order to attack as he had, a man would need to know a great deal. The sly smile never left Sal's face as Rand blocked. After Sal ceased his attack and prepared for another, Rand counter attacked with, Tower of Morning, then The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain. Both moves struck home and Sal staggered back, but was not finished. The object of this kind of duel was either to disarm your opponent or to knock them off their feet. Sal had endured both blows and was ready with a complex Water Flows Downhill. This attack caught Rand between the neck and his shoulder, sending a burst of distant pain through the void.

The duel went on for about two hours before Rand and Sal both began feeling great strain from the duel. Rand had tried after the first ten minutes to finish the man off like he had done with the others, but the man was quick and controlled. But finally, Rand broke through the man's defenses and endurance with an unexpected attack of Heron Spreads Its Wings, which hit home dead center of the Sal's chest, knocking the wind out of him, and causing him to stagger backwards, then to his knees.

Rand was breathing hard when he offered the man his hand, but Sal just laid there, chest rising and falling with shudders. Rand asked, "Are you okay?"

It took a moment, but Sal replied, "Yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't expect you to try something so risky. It didn't seem to match your style as I had gathered before."

Rand laughed, remnants of the void disappearing, "Well, I was getting tired." He paused and looked around to the crowd of men that had gathered and said, "Now that was a duel. That is how you must learn to fight if you are to have a chance in combat with the Aiel. For ever man who can fairly best this man I will give him a gold crown. But that is for another day. For now you all must get back to work, as do I."

Then, Sal was at his side and he asked, "Shall we see the rest of the camp my lord?"

Rand answered, "I didn't know you were a blademaster. Why don't you wear your sword?"

Sal looked down at the ground and said, "I would rather not talk about it if you don't mind my lord."

Rand's interest sparked, but he decided not to press the man further this day… perhaps tomorrow.


End file.
